overgraze
verb
over·graze
ˌō-vər-ˈgrāz 
overgrazed; overgrazing; overgrazes
: to allow animals to graze (an area, such as a pasture) to the point of damaging vegetational cover
Examples of overgraze in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The factor may be that herbivores overgraze their range and run short of food.
—
E O Wilson, Discover Magazine, 11 June 2012
But unlike large mammals, the ants don’t overgraze all the vegetation in the area around their colony.
—Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 May 2022
Managers extended the fall season and provided winter openings to try to hit harvest targets, something Fish and Game says is important to keep the herd sustainable, and not so large that animals overgraze or starve.
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2021
As a result, proliferating shrimp could overgraze the algae that supports a healthy population, according to Luft.
—Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Dec. 2020
Cattle and sheep overgraze on the zacaton, and farmers burn the grass to promote new growth in pastures and cut it for thatch.
—National Geographic, 23 Jan. 2020
In this case, individual Arizonans are being asked to guard the public good, while policy makers, developers and multinational corporations overgraze our water to the detriment of the greater good.
—John D'anna, azcentral, 15 Dec. 2019
Without sharks, fish would overgraze and destroy our oceans.
—Stephanie Bedo, Fox News, 16 July 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
E O Wilson, Discover Magazine, 11 June 2012
But unlike large mammals, the ants don’t overgraze all the vegetation in the area around their colony.
—Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 May 2022
Managers extended the fall season and provided winter openings to try to hit harvest targets, something Fish and Game says is important to keep the herd sustainable, and not so large that animals overgraze or starve.
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2021
As a result, proliferating shrimp could overgraze the algae that supports a healthy population, according to Luft.
—Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Dec. 2020
Cattle and sheep overgraze on the zacaton, and farmers burn the grass to promote new growth in pastures and cut it for thatch.
—National Geographic, 23 Jan. 2020
In this case, individual Arizonans are being asked to guard the public good, while policy makers, developers and multinational corporations overgraze our water to the detriment of the greater good.
—John D'anna, azcentral, 15 Dec. 2019
Without sharks, fish would overgraze and destroy our oceans.
—Stephanie Bedo, Fox News, 16 July 2018
Cite this Entry
“Overgraze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overgraze. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overgraze
verb
over·graze
ō-vər-ˈgrāz
overgrazed; overgrazing
: to allow animals to graze (as a pasture) to the point of damaging the vegetation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share